The present invention relates to an enclosure having a cabinet and a door pivotally coupled to one another by an internal hinge. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a fire-resistant enclosure having an internal hinge. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to a water-proof enclosure having an internal hinge.
One of the purposes of a security safe is to provide a place to keep valuable objects protected from fire and disastrous acts of nature and to prevent unauthorized access to the interior compartment where the valuables are stored. Since access to the interior compartment of the safe is required by the one protecting their valuables, a door must be included in any safe. Historically, locks have been used for this purpose and are well known in the art. In particular, large and robust bolt mechanisms have been utilized to secure the safe's door when it is closed. In security safes of the size and configuration to store firearms, particularly rifles and shotguns, spring-loaded detent bolt work with manual or electronic locks and spring-loaded relockers are typically used to assure the desired protections.
The hinge for the door has always been a vulnerable attack point for gaining unauthorized access to the internal compartment of the safe since it is exposed on the outside of the safe making it easily accessible. The hinge has seen little improvement over the years as it is rather basic in it design, using a pin circularly enclosed on both a fixed side and a movable side. There have been several attempts to eliminate this attack point by eliminating the external hinge. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,515 to Baker et al. discloses a continuous internal hinge on a safe. However, the hinge only allows the safe door to open 90 degrees, which may be inadequate for accessing the internal compartment of the safe.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,695 to Jegers et al. discloses a leaf member having a pair of knuckles that include a retainer, which extends into the path of the pin. Annular grooves formed in the pin receive the retainer member and keep it from sliding in or out of the hinge. One of the grooves has a straight side and a tapered side, allowing the pin to slide over the second groove, but not the first groove. The structure of the safe corner is bent to form at least one knuckle and leaf member to mate with the second hinge leaf.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,595 to Stephenson, III et al. discloses a hinge arrangement for a gaming device that includes a hinge connecting a door to a cabinet with a gap therebetween when the door is closed. The hinge forms a pocket shaped barrier around the gap with an edge engaging a side of the pocket when pivoted 90 degrees, limiting its travel, precluding damaging adjacent gaming devices when the door is opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,306 to Floyd et al. is directed to a security cover for a barrel hinge having an inner cover plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,267 to Roach et al. is directed to a device for resisting entry of an object into a space between the hinged edge of a door and a jamb using a folded sheet of flexible material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,970 to Sanderson et al. is directed to a hinge assembly of a planar-surfaced mounting bracket and a leaf member. A mounting bracket, in hex shape, is welded to the inner surface of the safe cabinet and the leaf member includes a pin that is retained by the bracket. The leaf member penetrates an open section of the frame and forms a door stop when contiguously abutting therebetween. Thus, the hinge in Sanderson limits the opening of the door to about 105 degrees relative to the door in its closed position.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an internal hinge for a fire-resistant safe that allows for sufficient opening of the door to provide adequate access to the interior compartment of the safe while eliminating an external attack point. There is a further need in the art for an internal hinge for a water-resistant safe. The present invention fills these needs as well as other needs.